Supporting plate for fluidized bed apparatus



Aug. 26, 1969 3,463,617

suPPoRTiNG PLATE Fon FLUIDIZED BED APPARATUS sHlNRo TAKEucHl Filed April 6, 196e l ff/5.1,

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United States Patent O 3,463,617 SUPPORTING PLATE FOR FLUIDIZED BED APPARATUS Shinro Takeuchi, Tamano, Okayama, Japan, assignor to Mitsui Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of JapanV Filed Apr. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 540,655 Int. Cl. B01j 1/14, 7/00; C10j 1/00 U.S. Cl. 23-284 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE The present invention relates to fluidized-bed apparatus in which particulate material forming a bed is maintained in an ebullient state by the upward ow of hot gas through the bed and more particularly, the present invention relates to a plate which supports the bed in the apparatus. The present invention has particular utility in apparatus for roasting iron sulfide, for gasifying coal, for reducing ore, and for producing sulfur dioxide, ferrous oxide, quicklime, producer gas, or water gas.

As a primary object, the present invention provides a supporting plate for use in iluidized-bed apparatus wherein a swirling motion is imparted to hot gases llowing upwardly through the plate, the gases intimately contacting particulate material on the plate to increase the roasting eiiiciency of the apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a supporting plate comprising a plurality of blocks each having an inverted U-shaped elevational cross-section, the blocks cooperating to reduce the possibility of damage to the supporting plate caused by a thermal expansion while facilitating installation and replacement.

More specifically, in the present invention, a supporting plate is constructed comprising a plurality of hollow, rectangular blocks each having a series of ports spaced apart horizontally in the upper margins of the lengthwise sides of the blocks, the blocks being arranged in a predetermined pattern so that the ports of adjacent blocks are disposed in an eccentric relationship to impart a swirling motion to hot gases issuing therefrom.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is an elevational view in transverse section of one form of fluidized-bed apparatus having a supporting plate embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the supporting plate illustrated in FIG. l;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken along lines 3-3 and 4 4 of FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. '7 is a side elevational view of a spacing block adapted to be assembled with the block illustrated in FIG. 5 to form a supporting plate;

3,453,617 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 ICC FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the spacing block of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of a supporting plate comprising the blocks illustrated in FIGS. 5-8 with the blocks being horizontally spaced apart for purposes of clarity.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 1, fluidized-bed apparatus comprising a cylindrical metallic casing 10 having a refractory lining is provided with a supporting plate 11 which divides the casing 10 into an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber or plenum 13. Solid particulate material is supplied to the upper chamber 12 through a container or storage tank 14 and a shut-olf valve 15, the material being conveyed from the container 14 to the upper chamber 12 through a shutott valve 16 opening downwardly to a duct 17 housing an auger or screw-conveyor 18. The particulate material fed into the upper chamber 12 forme a bed 21 on the supporting plate 11, the bed 21 being maintained in a fluidized condition by gases passing upwardly through openings or apertures in the supporting plate 11. In the present instance, the gases are supplied to the lower chamber 13 through a pipe or duct 19 controlled by a valve 20, and after the gases pass upwardly through the bed 21, they are exhausted from the upper chamber' 12 through a duct 22. Residues floating on the bed 21 are discharged into a waste hopper 23 through a duct 24 having a valve 25, the residues being discharged from the waste hopper 23 through a valve 26.

In accordance with the present invention, the supporting plate 11 comprises a plurality of blocks arranged side-by-side in a predetermined pattern with a plurality of like blocks to support a bed of particulate material. To this end, a rectangularly shaped modular block 27 is provided having sidewalls 29a, 29a and endwalls 29, 29 closed by a top wall or plate 28 in which a series of corrugations 30, 30 are formed at spaced intervals along the length of the block. As may be seen in FIG. 4, the block 27 has a transverse cross-section in the form of an inverted U, and as may be seen in FIG. 3, the block has an elongated U- shaped longitudinal cross-section. In the present instance, hot gases are directed horizontally from the blocks 27 through a series of horizontal apertures or ports 32, 32a opening outwardly into recesses 31, 31a spaced apart in the upper margins of the lengthwise sidewalls 29a, 29a below the corrugations 30, 30 in the top wall 28 (see FIG. 3). The ports 32, 32a are horizontally staggered in the sidewalls 29a, 29a (see FIG. 2), and the blocks 27, 27 are arranged so that the ports register between the corrugations 30, 30 of adjacent blocks (see FIG. 3). In this manner, a strong supporting plate is provided which resists damage due to thermal expansion and which operates to swirl the flow of hot gases through the material supported thereon.

The blocks 27 are supported in the casing 10 by conventional support devices. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, I-beams 41 span across the casing 10 and support the blocks 27 thereon, preventing downward displacement thereof. To limit lateral and upward displacement elongated through-bolts 42 pass through enlarged registering openings 43 in the side walls 29a to maintain the blocks assembled. A hook bolt 44 is engaged on the through-bolt 42 and anchors the blocks against upward displacement by being secured to a strap plate 45 spanning between the I-beams 41. Of course other support structures may be employed to mount the blocks in the casing.

In operation, hot gases admitted to the interior of the block from the lower chamber 13 flow outwardly from the ports 32, 32a with a strong swirling motion. This causes the gases to intimately contact the particulate material as it flows upwardly through the bed, thereby increasing the roasting efficiency of the apparatus. Furthermore, an additional operating advantage is realized in the present invention by a rim 28a provided around each recess, for example the recess 31a, the rim 28a preventing solid particulate material in the bed from entering and clogging the port 32a.

A modified supporting plate having satisfactory operating characteristics may be provided in the form illustrated in FIGS. -9. In this embodiment, the supporting plate comprises a series of ported, rectangular blocks 33, 33 spaced apart 4by a series of spacing blocks 36, 36 interposed between the lengthwise sides of the ported blocks 33, 33 (see FIG. 9). As may be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ported blocks have upstanding sidewalls 35, 35 closed by a flat top plate 34. Hot gases are directed horizontally outward from the lengthwise sides of each block 33 through a series of ports or apertures 35a, 35a spaced apart in the sidewalls below the top plate 34. In the present instance, the spacing blocks 36, 36 have an I-shaped transverse cross-section with a height which terminates below the ports 35a, 35a when the ported blocks 33, 33 are arranged side-by-side with the spacing blocks 36, 36. In this embodiment, it is preferable for the blocks 33, 33 to be staggered slightly so that the ports 35a, 35a are offset from confronting ports in adjacent blocks; however, satisfactory operation may be effected with the ports oli-set in the lengthwise sides of each block. Thus, similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, a strong swirling motion is imparted to hot gases issuing from the ports for uniformly heating and fluidizing a bed of particulate material disposed on the plate.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, various modilications, alterations or changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting plate for use in iiuidized-bed apparatus, comprising a plurality of ported blocks each having upright sidewalls and endwalls disposed in a substantially rectangular configuration with a top wall extending thereacross to close the top of the block, each of said blocks having a series of ports in said sidewalls opening outwardly from the interior of the block adjacent to the top for directing gases outwardly in a substantially horizontal direction, the series of ports in one of said blocks confronting a series of ports in another block and spaced therefrom, said ports in one block being horizontally Oifset from the ports in the other block, whereby gases from the interior of the blocks issue from the ports with a swirling motion.

2. A plate according to claim 1 wherein said blocks are spaced apart by an elongated spacing block having an I-shaped transverse cross-section disposed between the sidewalls of adjacent ported blocks.

3. A plate according to claim 1 wherein said ports open into enlarged recesses in said sidewalls, so that in operation, particulate material is prevented from entering the ports.

4. A plate according to claim 3 wherein ysaid top wall is corrugated and intersects said sidewalls to define -a series of undulations therein, said ports being disposed in said undulations, and said ported blocks being arranged so that said ports of the one block register with said undulations in the adjacent ported block, and confront the ports of another block beyond said adjacent block whereby gases may flow outwardly from the ports and recesses in an uninterrupted path.

5. For use in uidized-bed apparatus, a block having upright sidewalls and endwalls disposed in a substantially rectangular configuration with a top wall extending thereacross to close the top of said block, each of said sidewalls having a series of horizontal ports disposed adjacent said top wall with said ports opening outwardly into a like series of enlarged recesses to provide fluid communication in a substantially horizontal direction outwardly from the interior of said block, whereby the recesses cooperate to prevent particulate material from entering the ports when the block is installed in uidized-bed apparatus.

6. A block in accordance with claim 5 wherein said top wall has a series of corrugations extending across said block to intersect said sidewalls and define a like series of undulations therein, said ports are formed in said undulations, and the ports in one of said sidewalls are horizontally offset from the ports in the other of said sidewalls.

7. A block in accordance with claim 5 wherein said top wall is substantially iiat and said series of ports are horizontally aligned in said sidewalls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,841,476 7/1958 Dalton 23-284 FOREIGN PATENTS 919,308 2/ 1963 Great Britain.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner M. D. BURNS, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 23-288 

